UNIZIK VCship Crisis: Odoh’s Aide Speaks, Clears Air On Qualifications
By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The Personal Assistant Media and Publicity
to the Vice-Chancellor Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Mr. Charles Otu,has cleared air on the qualifications of the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh, saying that the New helmsman of NAU, Awka, was duly promoted to the rank of a Professor.
In a statement titled setting the records straight on the personality, academic records and uncommon accomplishments of the 7th Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh), signed and made available to Newsmen during a press briefing in Awka, the Spokesperson noted that over the past few weeks, the mainstream and social media have been engulfed with reports on matters arising from the recent appointment of Benard Ifeanyi Odoh- a Professor of Geophysics as the Seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University by the Governing Council of the institution. Whereas, some allege ‘irregularities’ in the process of his emergence-a claim that is patently false and without any iota of substance or clear evidence, many others, particularly those within University Community and beyond have taken to negative publicities against the person of the new Vice-Chancellor to the social media, blogs and even mainstream media platforms, attempting to drag his long-standing reputation to a smudge.
‘For some in the last category, Odoh- a refined, thoroughbred academic with a charming and charismatic personality represents fraud, illegality and all that is now wrong with human aspirations especially in a beatified temple of knowledge. Some have even regrettably descended as low as questioning a Doctorate Degree he legitimately worked hard for and earned in Applied Geophysics (Geoelectrical Geophysics) from the same Nnamdi Azikiwe University since 2008 after successfully bagging both his first and second degrees from the same citadel of learning.
‘Ordinarily in his archetypal nature, Odoh, even before his emergence with a high score of 90 points as against the 68 points secured by the first runner-up in a meticulously conducted interview which he came top on the 29th of October, 2024 by the University’s Governing Council. He had consequently restrained those around him, particularly those abreast with his profile, academic records and accomplishments; ranging from the academia to poiltics, business and family life from responding to the negative smear campaigns in the media against his person and personality. Though he insists on focusing on accomplishing his very broad disruptive development model vision for the great UNIZIK, those of us who know him closely feel morally burdened that, _‘a lie told often, becomes the truth’_ as Vladmir Lenin insists.
‘This is why we feel that silence is no longer golden and it is now trite that we set the records straight, present the facts we know about Odoh and rebut the several false allegations in many quarters with evidences of what we know about him.
This has become very necessary so that those who may not be eager to believe lies by ignoring the truth will not fall for cheap lies, perhaps for want of contradicting facts and evidences in the public domain. Especially in this internet age, they will appreciate a balance of facts, views and opinions. It has become even more imperative to speak not only to facts in this matter but to holistically address the desperate attempts by a combination of those who want to make a political cum economic capital out of the imaginary controversies in the appointment of the revered Professor of Geophysics as the new helmsman of the prestigious Nnamdi Azikiwe University and their perceived sponsors.
‘The Odoh we know, that many may not know…
‘Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it_ ”- Bruce Lee. This apt quote by a Hong-Kong American Martial Artist and Actor sums up the personality and belief system of the Professor Benard Odoh that some of us have heard of, worked with and has stuck around for over a decade or more. From a very humble background in his heydays in the rustic and dusty city of Abakaliki to the Awka-based Nnamdi Azikiwe University where he later bagged three distinct degrees and has consequently traveled to and from round the globe, belonging to many national and global professional associations where he has even provided visionary leadership, Odoh is someone that would rather work hard to achieve whatever he sets his eyes on than to fake it or manipulate the process. This is a basic, verifiable fact that has been associated with him the much we know in the academia, politics and business.
‘In other words, Odoh is a pragmatically ambitious individual who dares to dream, sets his eyes with an eagle vision on the pursuit of his goals and pours himself completely in to see to the realizations of his set goals, visions and purpose and without compromising standards, bending rules or breaking the laws at any point. He is a man of long-standing personal convictions who would prefer to walk away when his personal interests conflicts with that which he considers to be of the general public’s interest. This, he did on the 2nd of April 2018 when he resigned from the office of the Secretary to the Government of Ebonyi State, citing the fact that the policies of the then government wherein he served for about thirty months was no longer serving the interest of the common Ebonyian.
‘One is therefore flustered to ask; is it this same Odoh that is now being pummeled by some relatively obscure and unknown characters in some sections of the media as a fraud or a crook in a desperate and deliberate sully campaign? For those who know him too well as some of us do, his only crime as even some of the sincere few in the academic circles have disclosed, is that he is ‘too ambitious’ to have ever dreamt of aspiring to the enviable position he now occupies. In the typical ambition-less nature of some of those in the academia, Odoh should have maybe vied for the position of a Rector of Polytechnic or even a Provost of a College of Education whereby he may not have been known or be very conspicuous.
‘But you don’t tell a man how to dream and like author and Public Speaker, Sarah Ban Breathnac charges: _“Don’t just dream but wake up and make those dreams a reality_ ”. For some of us, that was clearly the marked departing point between Odoh,- obviously considered ‘the Ebonyi’, (precisely an Abakaliki man) in an Anambra-capital based tertiary institution where he has lived for decades, done businesses, made several friends and alliances and of course, also contributed significantly to its growth, development and success stories and the rest of the pack who also dreamt and perhaps, took steps to become the Vice-Chancellor of NAU but failed to make it for one reason or the other.
‘Sterling academic records of the Odoh we know, that they may know not…
‘Undoubtedly for want of space, we may not state all that we know about the towering academic heights attained by Odoh but we would be deliberate to clear all allegations regarding his academic records and profiles. In 1999, Odoh obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geological Sciences from the alma-mater he now presides over its affairs as the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor. He got his Master of Science Degree in Applied Geophysics, measuring in Geoelectrical Geophysics from his same alma-mater, Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
Between 2002 to September 2009, Odoh was lecturing in Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki while doing his Doctorate Programme in Applied Geophysics which he successfully completed in 2008 in his same alma-mater, NAU, Awka. In 2014, he was appointed a visiting Professor of Geophysics (with concentration on oil and gas exploration) in the Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, Nigeria. He rose through the ranks in his career and was assessed and promoted to the rank of a full Professor of Applied Geophysics of the Federal University, Gusau in 2015. Even the Registrar who was in office when he was assessed and promoted reportedly approached the Court to swear to an affidavit attesting to all the due and lawful processes upon which he was found worthy of such elevation.
‘Odoh was a researcher with the Society of Exploration Geophysics, (SEG) at Oklahoma, USA between 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 and to his credit within this period, his research in the area of Exploration Geophysics provided economic decision-making tools towards reducing failures: in groundwater exploitation; reservoir characterization and prospect mapping for World Bank Community Projects, Anambra-Imo River Basin among others. He is also a member of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, London, and Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorations, Lagos as well as a member of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, Abuja.
‘His scientific academic research works and articles numbers well over 132 publications in reputable national and International journals. Odoh has served the University in different capacities as Director, Centre for Water Resources Research for the South-East, Coordinator, UNIZIK’s Seismic Observatory Station; and Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor on Academic Matters, to
mention but a few and his credentials have never been brought to doubts or questions by any of these his colleagues now trying desperately to pull him down.
‘Rather and within the said periods, Professor Odoh has to his credit, some conspicuous achievements, including but no limited to;
the attraction of about $1.7m donation to Nnamdi Azikiwe University from Schlumberger, the pioneering of the first ever Computer-Based Test, CBT UTME in UNIZIK as Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor on Academic matters in 2014 and the securing of a N150 million Naira World Bank grant to establish the National Water Resources capacity network building centre in UNIZIK.
He is also credited with founding the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Earthquake Monitoring Centre, leading Nnamdi Azikiwe University to win the 1st Prize Imperial Barrel Award African Championship in 2013 among other numerous achievements. We may wish to ask; If a man who has accomplished all these and more is not qualified to be a Vice-Chancellor, then who should?
This is the high-standing records of the Odoh we have known and worked with for a few decades!
‘How the Odoh we know lawfully distinguished himself among 15 other candidates to emerge the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of NAU
‘Without prejudice to whatever may be before the Courts of Law in Nigeria, there is no gainsaying the fact that the race for the Seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University had been won and lost since Thursday, October 29th, 2024. This followed the successful interview of 15 out of 18 applicants by the Selection Committee after which Professor Odoh emerged top with an outstanding 90 points. Before the successful conclusion of the free, fair and square exercise, there were contentions as expected, by some of the applicants over the advertisement notice published by the Governing Council of the institution and a National Industrial Court, here in Awka, presided over by Hon. Justice John Targema gave a consent judgment validating the position of the Governing Council on its scoring templates among other orders it had deemed necessary under the circumstance in a suit brought by Professor Anthony Okoye. Already, the said consent judgment paved the way for the council to proceed with its template as well as other well-laid-out plans to ensure a smooth conduct of the exercise.
‘The Ambassador Greg Mbadiwe led Governing Council also ensured fair-hearing, contrary to some Media reports by replying the letter of the Medical and Dental Council Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, UNIZIK Chapter and urging them to take their case to the National Universities Commission, NUC. The academic regulatory body has on several occasions maintained that the West African Post Graduate College of Medicine certificate obtained by Doctors which the various Medical associations cannot be considered as an equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy Degree, urging them to rather introduce Ph.D programmes in Clinical studies. We recall that the ASUU National Chairman, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke had in an interview insisted in the case of UNILAG VC that it does not consider members who possess the said fellowship as having or being an equivalent of a Ph.D.
‘On the claims that a quorum was not formed during the Senate’s interview session, the University authorities through the Registrar who is herself a cerebral legal practitioner with a clear understanding of the law and all its implications had replied that a quorum was duly constituted in compliance with the statutory requirements set forth in the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Act, Cap 139 (as amended), LFN 2024. She had added that; “In accordance with Section 6(a) of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Standing Orders of the Governing Council, the quorum requirement mandates the presence of five members, including at least one of the following: the Vice-Chancellor or his Deputy, one appointee of the Visitor, and one appointee of the Senate”
Further to straighten the records as have already been sufficiently clarified by the Registrar in response to the spurious claims of the Federal Ministry of Education that due process was not followed in appointment of the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University, it is germane to elucidate first and foremost; that notices were duly issued by the Registrar of the University/Secretary to the Council, Barr. Mrs Rosemary Nwokike dated 27th October, 2024 (at least 48 hours before the date of selection interview), inviting all Senate and Council members, relevant representatives of the Federal Government, including the Federal Character Commission which was represented by the Honourable Commissioner representing Anambra State and the State Coordinator, Mrs. Patricia N. Nwankwo to monitor the exercise. A reply from the Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Hauwa Sani Muhammed for the Executive Chairman so expressly directed the aforesaid Staff of the commission to represent it and it was complied with.
‘Available records showing the grading of the Selection Committee for the 15 interviewed candidates under 10 key thematic areas earlier listed by the Selection Committee as the scoring template showed that Professor Alex Asigbo emerged the first runner-up with a total of 65 points while Professor Chinedu Eze became the second runner-up with a total of 57 points whereas, Professor Oluka S.I polled 53 points to emerge the third runner-up.
‘The Odoh we know and his broad vision for a greater UNIZIK… Why he deserves the support of all!
‘It is heartwarming that Odoh, in his pragmatic capacity, made clear his bold vision for a disruptive development model in teaching and learning in the great Nnamdi Azikiwe University during his massively-attended Town Hall Meeting with the University Community at the Auditorium Complex of the Awka campus which he envisions will shape NAU for the future it deserves. Before unveiling his staff and student-oriented agenda to the mammoth crowd, he had commendably quoted the Great Zik of Africa who once said; “Originality is the essence of true scholarship. Creativity is the soul of a true scholar”.
‘The Odoh we know believes what he says and says only what he believes in. He had made it clear that, “Our vision for NAU is both ambitious and imperative. We stand at the threshold of a rapidly evolving global landscape where the convergence of technology, innovation, and human ingenuity reshapes every facet of society. In this context, our mission transcends traditional academic boundaries; we must become a beacon of forward-thinking education, a crucible innovation, and a catalyst for societal progress. Central to our vision is the commitment to nurturing graduates who are not just jobseekers, job-creators and problem-solvers but global entrepreneurs”, he had disclosed amidst cheers.
‘Highlighting the urgency of his mission which he said is underscored by Nigeria’s pressing socioeconomic challenges with youth unemployment exceeding 53%, Odoh proffered, “We are responsible for bridging the chasm between education and opportunity. NAU must evolve into a powerhouse of innovation, where industry-relevant skills are honed, research addresses real-world problems, and seeds of economic stability and self-reliance are sown. Our commitment to academic excellence remains unwavering, but we must broaden our definition of excellence to encompass impact, relevance, and societal transformation. We will forge stronger partnerships with industry, government and communities, ensuring that our research and educational programs directly contribute to national development goals”, he emphasized.
‘Before outlining in specific terms, his strategic framework to boost academic quality, innovation and global competitiveness which he is pursuing under Eleven broad goals, Odoh had in his wisdom first called for the support and collective efforts of the entire University community. “This journey will require our entire university community’s collective effort, creativity, and dedication”, promising that, “Together, we will build an institution that not only adapts to the future but shapes it- an NAU that stands as a testament to the power of education to transform lives and societies”.
‘It is already in the news that Odoh, in outlining his key projects and strategic initiatives upon assumption of office made a bold and visionary promise of attracting and investing an estimated N70 Billion Naira to the institution in the next five years and raising another N10 Billion by co-funding critical infrastructure and Corporate Social Responsibility. This is in addition to setting his eagle vision on investing in and accomplishing eleven other strategic initiatives including the building of the Vice-Chancellor’s residence, Staff and Student Hostel Complex and a 150-Room Hotel with Events and Meeting Rooms to provide comfort and security to visitors to the university and its environs through accommodation and conference services. He also plans a Greenhouse Farming Project at the Ifite Ogwari Faculty of Agriculture Campus to implement and advance precision agriculture practices.
‘To accomplish his lofty ideas for the University, Odoh plans for the formation of five strategic Implementation Committees that will meet periodically and provide quarterly progress reports to ensure accountability and transparency. He has also pledged immediate commitment to provide on-campus leadership not only by living inside the campus but implementing a multi-faceted security and infrastructure plan that will revitalize, reassure and restore safety on campus. His other on-campus infrastructure plans include; the reactivation of the 2MW Solar Farm, installation of 6km Internal Street Light and the perimeter ring road and fence reconstruction among other magnificent projects.
‘And as he hinted the University Community during his Town Hall Meeting, the Odoh we know is a thorough-bred academic, a consummate and respected politician who is very popular and even seen as a ‘Messiah of his people’ in his home State of Ebonyi and an industrious Business man cum entrepreneur who has built personal business brands in Lagos, Portharcourt and beyond. He has through his uncommon goodwill attracted several projects to his community, foreign Post-Graduate scholarships for students from UNIZIK and beyond. As an achiever, the Odoh we know, who may still have his eyes set on politics especially because of his young age and genuine interest in selfless leadership wants to succeed in the execution of his disruptive development model as the Seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor of the great Nnamdi Azikiwe University. He therefore needs the support, encouragement and prayers of all and sundry to succeed. For in his success, lies the success of the UNIZIK community in the next five years!
‘It bothers asserting in conclusion that we have also been inundated with the opinions of some of those opposed to the emergence of Professor Odoh especially from the host State of Anambra who have vowed to pull him down simply because he is ‘Onye Abakaliki’ and therefore he must be disdained and disgraced. For those in the extreme category of ethnic jingoism, even an academic qualification from Harvard will never qualify Odoh to dream to vie for the position of a VC in an institution he obtained three degrees and have lived in, paid taxes, made friends and done businesses in alongside his family members. To them, we seek their understanding of the fact that virtually every remarkable public institution in his home State of Ebonyi is named after an Anambra man.
Therefore, they should reciprocate the kind hospitality and love of Ebonyians towards them and their elites by embracing Odoh and his bold vision for the NAU community. By so doing, the average Ebonyi man will appreciate that they are equally loved, valued and appreciated by their elder Igbo brothers of Anambra extraction.
‘They should therefore support him to succeed!
Thank you for your kind attention, dear colleagues; Gentlemen of the Press and God bless us all,’ he concluded
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